Elevating Student Achievement Through Tiered Instruction and Intervention
In order to achieve student success, it is important to recognize that every student’s learning journey looks different.
“We know that learning is uniquely impacted by each student’s experiences in and out of the classroom,” Director of Teaching and Learning Jen Kearney said. “And we know that no one teacher can address every unique circumstance, to every unique student – they cannot do it alone.”
Educators in GISD work collaboratively in order to provide access to high-quality classroom instruction and ensure every student receives the appropriate support needed to learn at high levels. They do that through a number of ways, on both the academic and behavioral side.
Academic Intervention
Academically, the expectation is that all students across the board receive high-quality instruction on their grade-level standards in a supportive, engaging classroom setting.
Teachers use a Common Formative Assessment process to guide frequent learning check-ins to assess where a student has achieved mastery and where a student needs additional support. These assessments are created and agreed upon through a collaborative effort by a course- or grade-level group of teachers.
"The collaborative brainstorming that this work requires supports strong professional development for teachers," Alicia Giereisch, Georgetown High School (GHS) Learning Design Coach said. “It inherently sparks discussion around best practices to improve the learning of students.”
Algebra 2 students working domain and range
Intervening in Action
After a group of Algebra Teachers at GHS sat down and reviewed the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) – or, the state curriculum standards – and past STAAR questions, they determined that the essential standard for Algebra would be that students must master domain and range (a linear function in mathematical problems) before moving onto a higher level of the curriculum.
The teachers built a quiz around domain and range, analyzed results from the quiz, and built in-class interventions targeting the most common errors.
Students who fell short on the quiz dove deeper into domain and range through focused small groups, while students that demonstrated mastery worked on more domain and range questions, but at a more complicated level.
Essentially, teachers are re-teaching essential grade-level curriculum to students who need additional support, while extending learning for students who have demonstrated mastery of that essential curriculum – so that every student in every classroom is learning at high levels.
How is student progress measured?
Student assessment and intervention does not only take place at report card time. Teachers are evaluating student progress on a daily basis and establishing intervention methods for students who are struggling to meet core curriculum standards.
During a recent board workshop, a 2023 STAAR data review showed an overall improvement in math scores in grades 3-8, while scores fell flat in English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) in GISD, as well as across the state.
The data also showed that schools that have implemented KAT (Knowledge Acquisition Transformation), an intervention framework that supports reading comprehension, demonstrated greater gains in areas of STAAR where reading comprehension was required.
“STAAR is one measure of many,” said Dr. Devin Padavil, superintendent, during the workshop. “We want to have multiple measures of learning in GISD, and we do.”
Behavioral Intervention
“It's difficult to separate behavior and academics when discussing students, as the two truly go hand in hand,” Heather Stoner, Executive Director of Student and Campus Services said. “In GISD, our Learner Profile Traits focus on the foundational interpersonal and intrapersonal skills that students need to succeed in school and beyond.”
“Our campuses have worked over the past year to create a systemic and balanced approach to supporting student behavior,” Stoner said. “This includes skill-building, connections, direct and effective corrections, affirming positive behavior, and using data to inform our practices.”
Behavior screeners are used to measure progress related to student behavior. Teachers are asked to quickly assess their students in the areas of respectful, responsible, and safe behavior. This helps identify overall trends on the campus as well as students who may need additional behavior support.
Esme Bruesewitz, Kindergarten Teacher at Cooper Elementary, utilizes Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs) as a Tier 2 intervention strategy to assess and support her students in the classroom.
What does a day look like for a student receiving Daily Behavior Report Cards?
The student starts the day one-on-one with Bruesewitz to collaboratively brainstorm 2-3 behavioral goals for that day. Some example goals include:
I am going to be safe and use walking feet in the hallways.
I am going to be responsible by sitting in my chair.
I am going to be respectful by raising my hand.
Bruesewitz checks in with the student nine times a day between class activities.
“During student check-ins, I follow a ‘Feedback Sandwich’ model,” Bruesewitz said. “I give the student a compliment on something good, feedback on what they can improve on, and finish with a positive affirmation.”
At the end of the day, the student meets with Bruesewitz to debrief and set new goals for the next day.
“There’s not really a time limit on how long a student should receive DBRCs, as Tier 2 support is customized to every student’s journey,” Bruesewitz said. “The goal is that students independently and consistently use the classroom resources available to them to regulate their emotions.”
“Strong, consistent coaching of these systems in the classroom empowers all students, starting with our youngest learners,” Monica Meyers, GISD MTSS/Independent Learning Classroom (ILC) Coordinator said. “We are seeing huge gains in student growth when these practices are implemented with fidelity.”
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
All of this is provided through a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS).
There are three tiers to MTSS that can be amplified in response to levels of student need.
Every student receives Tier 1 supports. Tier 1 is for all students, practiced by all staff. It ensures that all students receive high quality instruction in a positive environment. Tier 1 systems are successful for most students.
For some students, they might need more support beyond what is given in Tier 1. Tier 2 offers extra support, such as small group learning, progress check-ins and feedback reports, to those who need it, as in the Algebra and Kindergarten classes referenced earlier.
A few students need support that goes beyond Tiers 1 and 2. Tier 3 includes intensive interventions, PLUS the supports that are given in Tiers 1 and 2.
“Education for every student is a journey, and we recognize that each student learns in different ways and at different levels. When we say we personalize learning for every student, MTSS is a great example of how we can do that,” Kearney said. “We are seeing light bulb moments in students, and we know that when they understand what they’re learning, it will translate into success - through daily learning, local assessments, eventual mastery of state standards and also in how they interact with others.”
MTSS FAQs
Can a student receive multiple tiers of support at one time?
Yes. MTSS is flexible and responsive to the individual needs of each student, so students can move between tiers as their needs change. For example, a student may be in Tier 1 for math and behavior support, while also receiving Tier 2 support for reading intervention.
Is MTSS intervention primarily used to identify students for Special Education?
No. While educators can use MTSS to identify students with learning disabilities, its primary purpose is to provide highly effective teaching and targeted interventions when necessary to ensure high levels of learning for all students.
Is intervention only the job of campus interventionists or specialists?
No. Teachers are content experts and will lead the initial teaching (Tier 1) and re-teaching (Tier 2) of curriculum.
